Thomas Kim

We absolutely loved working with Dr. Kim and highly recommend him. I did tons of research on doctors and clinics in our area before deciding to move forward with his services at RMA. Before meeting Dr. Kim, we met with one other RE at a trendy fertility chain for a consultation and immediately decided they were not for us. When we came to Dr. Kim, he explained information directly but with compassion and care. He didn’t sugarcoat anything and for that, we were very appreciative. He asked us about what we hoped to achieve, and based on those answers, he helped us put together a plan. Of course, this plan would change as we discovered more about our fertility issues, but we were always discussing information and making the plan together. Dr. Kim would call personally to check in on us and discuss our results and next steps throughout the process. The more we got to know him, the more confidence and trust we had in him. After my third and final retrieval, we faced a tough situation where I had a minor case of OHSS that required a visit to the ER and my husband came down with COVID the same day. Dr. Kim called three different times to make sure that I was recovering well and that my husband was feeling better. He genuinely cares. We got pregnant from our first embryo transfer and we know we’ll be returning to Dr. Kim when it’s time to continue expanding our family. He’s a wonderful human being.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. He's not a doctor who will overwhelm you with information, but if you ask him to break things down, he will very clearly. Have patience and trust!

My baseline tests were all normal. We hoped to do a single retrieval, however, I ended up doing three back-to-back retrievals to secure an adequate number of PGT embryos for how large of a family we hope to have. For each retrieval, I was prescribed a modest medication regimen which my body responded to well. My protocol consisted of Estrace and Progesterone tablets, and injections of low-dose HCG, Gonal F, and Lupron. We were closely monitored throughout each round and decided to take a one-month break before our FET. We did a medicated FET cycle and were lucky enough to have success on our first try. My FET protocol consisted of Estrace tablets and PIO injections, followed by Metrogel & progesterone bullet right before the transfer. After the transfer, I continued my PIO shots until I was 10 weeks pregnant.

We're very lucky to have amazing insurance which includes fertility benefits. All billing was handled through our fertility benefits administrator. The process was seamless. The majority of our entire treatment protocol was covered by insurance.

We knew we'd do an eSET to maximize our chances of success. We felt very comfortable with this method and were given clear information that helped us understand the process and why this is the standard of care.

Dr. Kim is very direct with his communications and also very compassionate, which I liked, but I could see it being a downside for someone who wants an effusively warm or upbeat bedside manner. He seemed really thrilled, as both a doctor and a human, when things went well for us. When we had setbacks, he explained why, took a moment to be there with us, was reassuring, and then clearly set expectations for next steps.

For the IVF cycle, stimmed with Follistim, micro hcg, and Provera then did a dual Lupron/hcg trigger. It worked really well for me. We did a modified natural cycle after my lining didn't get thick enough on a medicated cycle. First transfer took.

Dr. Kim does single embryo transfer. He seems very up to date on the science with this and explained why in our consultation. I'm glad that's what we ended up doing.

He was great at explaining certain things and processes. I did wish that I would have gotten more details to certain procedures or that details would have been volunteered. As a first timer, sometimes I did not know what to ask. i did not know how many days my embryos were given to develop. At times, appt's did feel rushed. At times through the process I felt like I was confused or did not know what was next. Sometimes I had to call to get an update. However, overall I felt like the process went by really fast from my first appt to the embryo transfer. At UCLA I was looking at a 2 month wait period between my first appt and the follow ups.

To ask the Dr to tell you abut what you haven't asked that you may need to know. To not assume that the doctor is telling you everything. ask dr's what are common questions patients ask in your situation.

We went straight into IVF due to my partner's low count sperm. I was put on HCG and Follistim and progesterone for the egg retrievals. then the estrogen and Progesterone shots. for the embryo transfer.

I used my insurance which covered 50% of my treatment. I paid out of pocket about 10k

Dr. Kim was very knowledgeable and very approachable. He was mild mannered which made him a good fit for this type of sensitive and emotional treatment. He attended every monitoring visit I had and personally called to report results after the major events and milestone (egg retrieval, embryo growth, transfer etc). At each visit it was clear that he was busy and had a specific window for you - but that window was just for you. While he was in the room he gave his full attention and explained the monitoring etc. And you always new the nurse would be calling you in the afternoon for any and all additional details. I did wonder if my egg retrieval cycles were customized or adjusted enough because I had one failed cycle and was a low very responder (2 eggs, 4 eggs) but I think most of that was just my low ovarian reserve. And my first transfer was successful so I think his technique is good.

Ask lots of questions, especially during COVID-19 when you have less in person appointments and more phone conversations

Cycle 1 - antagonist cycle; 2 eggs retrieved resulting in 2 embryos Cycle 2 - microLupron flare cycle - cancelled Cycle 3 - antagonist cycle; 4 eggs retrieved resulting in 1 embryo

I had insurance coverage for fertility care so I only had to pay my annual $3k deductible and then small amounts after that. All of my treatment was within one year. I did pay for the prescriptions out of pocket to use a specialty pharmacy because getting approval for Rx coverage was going to take weeks and I was not willing to wait. So I paid ~ 7k total for 3 egg retrieval cycles plus 1 transfer cycle

RMA standard of care is single embryo transfer except in special cases; I agreed with this strategy

Wonderful doctor, nurses and staff. I felt very taken care of going through multiple rounds of IUI and finally a successful round of IVF. I never had a problem getting an appointment for days/times that worked for me and they were very cautious and considerate during the COVID pandemic as well. I was always able to get someone on the phone or through their email/secure message line; I know friends who went with larger offices who never had a consistent point of contact throughout and feel grateful that I knew pretty much every person in Dr. Kim's office by name (and they knew me by name as well).

Ask lots of questions; he will take the time to answer them all candidly.

I was fortunate that my work benefits covered it, so I only paid my $4000 out of pocket insurance deductible/max (including for medications). They billed pretty much everything very promptly through my insurance.

Dr. Kim was kind and informative. We chose him because of his bilingual ability, which also came in handy at times. He took the time to explain everything and if we had additional questions, he would answer those as well.

I would have them ask him to explain the chances/percentages of each of the stages of IVF. i.e. on average, how many embryos before finding a healthy one? or how many eggs per retrieval on average.

only copays under Dr. Kim. However, we had to pay out-of-pocket for anesthesia and then get reimbursed by our insurance company, which was a pain. Wished they would have used someone that takes insurance.

Dr. Kim said his clinic would not implant more than one embryo at a time, because they human body wasn't meant to carry more than one (unlike animals). It was less risky to implant one over multiple embryos.

Dr. Kim explained every procedure, the expectations and risks. Her made sure we understood every step of the process and our odds. He made sure we understood what the entire process would entail so that we could make informed decisions. In addition, he was warm and friendly, setting us at ease and making sure we felt no pressure when making decisions

I am not sure

My procedure was simple compared to what others may experience. I simply had poor egg quality due to age. We chose donor eggs, I had no medications prior to the procedure. After the embryo transfer I was put on progesterone and estrogen for 12 weeks to increase the chances of implantation and maintaining the pregnancy to the point the placenta was formed. From there I was medication free and carried to term.

Costs were bundled into a package option, depending on what was expected for the patient you could choose different options. The packages saved money as a whole over paying for each procedure individually. All costs were explained in detail

During 2 rounds of egg freezing cycles with RMA, I have nothing but great things to say about Dr.Kim and his entire staff. From my first appt, Dr Kim explained the process to me in a way I could really understand, and was always available to me. Shelley was incredible, taking my calls at 10pm when I was in a panic - and instantly dealt with my problem. I never had any issues getting an appointment, and was never made to wait. My Progyny health insurance took care of everything else!

All covered by Progyny health insurance with a copay